Titbits – Lying little rags and political handbags

◆ Mayor Philip Glanville gave the Citizen a warm welcome at this month’s cabinet meeting at the Town Hall. He said: “Welcome Hackney Citizen to taking part in democracy and hopefully reporting back on what we discuss.” Things have changed since Glanville’s predecessor, Jules Pipe, at a council meeting in January 2012,  referred to “the cancerous Hackney Citizen”, and in a March 2010 meeting called the Citizen “absolutely ridiculous” and “a lying little rag”.    

◆ Election fever on Twitter (17 January) as Lib Dem candidate Darren Martin crossed swords with Mayor Glanville over council tax rises. After Martin slammed the changes, Glanville attacked the Lib Dems’ record in coalition government. Martin accused the Mayor of “finger pointing politicking”, at which point Cllr Jon ‘bruiser’ Burke, cabinet member for Energy, said Martin’s party had “colluded with the Tories in government”, adding: “Hang your head in shame.” Darren ‘catty’ Martin shot back, “Glad you finally got the [London Fields] lido open councillor”, to which the Mayor said: “You’re as party political as anyone on Twitter, perhaps the most political in Hackney…” Meow!